Enhanced Version 2
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: Rewrite of Enhanced. TV universe. After participating in a rescue at a US research post John begins experiencing strange and amazing side effects.
1. Chapter 1

**Enhanced**

**Chapter One**

John Tracy sighed in contentment and adjusted his sunglasses before leaning back on the sun lounger and soaking in the bright warm tropical sunshine that shone down on Tracy Island. He had only been back on the island for two days after a longer than normal stint of duty on Thunderbird Five – two months instead of his normal one.

The reason being that just after shift change over two months ago Alan had gone out on a rescue that took him into a dangerous cave system to save some stranded scientists. He had become caught in a collapse that had left him seriously injured, with a concussion, cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. Even with modern medicine it had taken along time for all of Alan's wounds to fully heal and Alan to be well enough to return to active duty as a member of International Rescue and take his shift on Thunderbird Five. John hadn't minded the additional month on the station it had given him more time to observe a comet passing through the inner system.

Still he was glad to be back home for a month. Between rescues it gave him a chance to really catch up with his brothers and to get his tan back. A smile graced his face as he heard the familiar sounds of Gordon and Tin-Tin playing around in the swimming pool. It was nice to hear it, and a very welcome change from the constant background humming of machinery on Thunderbird Five.

A shadow falling over him caught his attention and he looked up. To find Scott standing over him, a hopeful look on his face.

"Yes, Scott," he asked.

"John will you come to the gym with me," Scott asked. "I need someone to spot for me, normally I would ask Virgil but he's busy helping Brains with maintenance on the Firefly."

"Sure, Scott," John replied getting up and taking off his sunglasses. "I could do with a workout anyway this would be as good a time as any. If I spot for you, you can return the favour for me."

"Deal," Scott answered grinning.

"Then lets go," John answered. Scott nodded and led the way back towards the villa, John followed closely behind him looking forward to some much needed exercise.

**

* * *

Thunderbird Five**

Alan smiled as he finished the first of the day's checks on the space stations many systems. All systems were testing normally and he hadn't had to recalibrate anything. Which was a welcome change, Thunderbird Five was such a complex machine the most complex of the five Thunderbirds. Systems were always developing problems, indeed most of his and John's time up here was spent on routine maintenance to keep the satellite fully operational.

Still smiling he logged the results of his diagnostic checks in the stations logbook computer and prepared to leave the control room. _Maybe I'll watch a DVD in the entertainment room,_ he thought when abruptly the communications signal crackled to life.

"Calling International Rescue," a voice with a Texan accent said, instantly making Alan race back to the main console. "Calling International Rescue, this is Colonel Marshall Graves, US army, please respond."

Alan picked up the microphone and switched it on. "Colonel Graves this is International Rescue, Thunderbird Five, we read you."

"International Rescue we need your help," Graves answered. "I'm one of the people in charge of a research base in Nevada. There's been an explosion, we have people trapped on the lower levels of the base. We can't get to them due to the fire. You're those peoples only hope, please help us."

"Don't worry Colonel we will help," Alan replied. "Give me the details."

**

* * *

Tracy Villa**

**Tracy Island**, **A Few Minutes Later**

Jeff Tracy looked up from the mountain of paperwork on his desk when he saw Virgil come in, looking like he had just had a shower. Jeff didn't doubt that he had, maintenance on the Firefly was always dirty business.

"Hello, Virgil," Jeff said in greeting.

"Hi, dad," Virgil answered as he walked over to his piano. "What are you working on?"

"Oh just reading a proposal for a new undersea geothermal power station that a group of scientists want to build, they're looking for some corporate sponsors."

"An undersea geothermal power station," Virgil repeated in interest, the engineer in him coming to the fore. "That would be challenging to build, even with modern underwater technology. I take it that it's got your attention."

"Definitely," Jeff replied a moment before a familiar bleeping sound filled the air. Looking up at the wall Jeff saw the eyes on Alan's portrait flashing. Reaching over to a control panel in the side of his desk he accepted the call from Thunderbird Five.

"Go ahead Alan," he said as the portrait of Alan disappeared to be replaced by a live feed of Alan back dropped by Thunderbird Five's control room.

"Father I've just received a distress call from a US government research facility in Nevada," Alan reported. "There has been an explosion and many people are trapped on the lower underground levels. A feeder stream for the Colorado River runs next to it underground. They don't know if the wall between the facility and the river has been breached but they suspect that it may have been damaged."

"Sounds like a job for the Mole. Alright Alan signal them that we are on our way. Try to get more information on what it's like down their. And fill Scott in in-flight."

"F.A.B father," Alan replied before disappearing from the screen and his portrait reappearing. Virgil turned concerned brown eyes on his father, even as he seamlessly went into International Rescue mode.

"This is going to be a difficult one isn't it, dad," he said as Jeff sounded the alarm that would bring his siblings running.

"Yes, Virgil it is."

* * *

Scott and John had just gotten changed into their gym clothes and were heading for the gym when the alarm went off.

"Oh typical," John said with a sigh of annoyance. "That alarm has absolutely lousy timing."

"Tell me about it," Scott agreed with a wry smile, before turning serious. "Come on let's go and see Dad and get the brief." John nodded and the two of them turned around and raced through the villa, eager to see who needed the help of International Rescue now.

In moments they reached the main living room and neither was surprised to see Virgil already there, though there was no sign of Gordon yet. Though they both new the auburn haired aquanaut would be here soon.

"What is it dad," Scott asked coming to the matter at hand.

"A US research base in Nevada has sent out a distress call. There has been an explosion and multiple people are trapped underground on the lower levels. To make matters worse a feeder river for the Colorado runs right next to the underground part of the base. They do not know yet if the containment wall has been damaged. Scott away you go. Alan's trying to get more information and will fill you in while in flight."

"F.A.B father," Scott replied and moved over to the wall lights that concealed the entrance to Thunderbird One's silo. Grasping the wall lights with both hands he held on tight as the wall swivelled and he was facing his beloved Thunderbird One.

"Virgil take Pod 2 you'll definitely need the Mole and possibly some heavy cutting equipment. Take John with you this could get real complicated," Jeff instructed.

"F.A.B father," Virgil and John replied.

While Virgil went over to the rocket portrait on one wall that would flip up and deposit him in the access sled to Thunderbird Two John headed for the passenger lift elsewhere in the house.

Jeff sat back in his seat as the boys left. The part of what they did that he always hated was about to begin.

The waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Thunderbird One**

**A Short Time Later**

"Thunderbird Five from Thunderbird One," Scott said into his radio as his navigational system reported that he had crossed the west coast of the United States and would reach the position of the research base shortly.

"Go ahead, Scott," Alan responded as his face appeared on the communications panel's small plasma display screen.

"I've just crossed the California coast, Alan," Scott replied. "Do you have anymore information on the situation?"

"Well I have good news and bad news, Scott," Alan answered. "The good news is I've been able to gather more information from Colonel Graves about the situation, all the surface buildings on the base have collapsed as has the uppermost level at least two more levels are on fire. All ventilation and access shafts are sealed by debris." _If that's the good news then what's the bad news,_ Scott thought as the situation at the base sounded extremely serious, though he knew it would have to be for the army to admit it couldn't deal with the situation themselves and needed International Rescue's assistance.

"What's the bad news," he asked.

"I asked about what research they were doing there, so I would be able to advise you of any potential dangers, they wouldn't tell me," Alan answered, frustration and annoyance visible on his handsome baby face and audible in his voice. "All they would tell me is that the base is involved in the development and testing of new technology. But they refuse point blank to provide anymore information than that, they say we do not need to know and telling us would be a violation of national security."

"Its not you're fault, Alan," Scott said, a look at Alan's face told him that his youngest sibling was mentally beating himself up over his inability to gather any more information.

"I know that, Scott. It's just frustrating as hell."

"I know what you mean," Scott answered silently cursing the paranoid secretive nature of the US government and military in affairs such as this. They both knew full well that International Rescue was discrete about national security and could be trusted to keep secretive things to themselves. Yet they still insisted on not giving any information on what was being researched. So essentially they were going into the danger zone without any real ideas of the potential hazards. Which made his and his siblings jobs that bit more difficult than they already were.

"Do we know anymore about the cause of the initial blast," he asked after a few moments. "And have they been able to give any information on the status of the river containment wall?"

"Negative to both, Scott," Alan replied.

"Okay, Alan. My ETA to the danger zone is five minutes. Keep me informed of any changes."

"F-A-B," Alan answered then vanished from the comm. screen as he broke the connection from his end. Scott turned his full attention back to the controls and the task of guiding Thunderbird One to her destination as quickly and safely as possible.

* * *

**Five Minutes Later**

Scott frowned as he circled around above the wrecked research base to dump height and speed prior to using his VTOL system to land. It also gave him the advantage of an aerial survey. From there the devastation was remarkable, as Alan had said all the surface buildings were wrecked, reduced to gutted shells or piles of smouldering rubble. There was a pronounced series of fractures in the ground, many of them spewing smoke, which radiated outwards from beneath the far right building. A building that looked to have been literally blasted apart, obviously it was the source of the blast that had crippled the base.

A small city of army issue tents had been set up around the wrecked buildings, with people running back and forth between the tents. _I wonder just how many have died here already today,_ he thought. After a moment he pushed the thoughts of the obvious destruction and death below out of his mind and concentrating on landing in the closest clear area.

Within seconds of completing the landing sequence the external camera's alerted him to a group of soldiers coming right towards him. In moments they had him completed surrounded, with various weapons pointed right at his Thunderbird. Scott rolled his eyes in annoyance at the unneeded martial display. Not that the soldiers were a threat to him, their weapons were nowhere near powerful enough to penetrated the cahelium alloy fuselage of Thunderbird One, their bullets would ricochet harmlessly off the hull.

He could see another group of people two males in combat fatigues and one woman wearing civilian clothes with a white lab coat over the top. Scott couldn't make out the rank insignia on the military uniforms from here Thunderbirds One's external cameras and sensors were not quiet sensitive enough for that but he guess that they were probably the people in command of this base; and probably there fore the people who had ordered the soldiers to surround Thunderbird One.

Scott switched on the external speakers. "This is International Rescue Thunderbird One," he said. "Can you please withdraw you're soldiers from around my aircraft." He turned on the external microphone and waited.

One of the approaching three raised a loud speaker. "International Rescue I am Colonel Marshall Graves, commander of security for this base. We appreciated you're rapid response to our call, and hope that you will be able to save our trapped people. However I cannot carry out you're request, my men must remain around you're aircraft for the duration of you're stay here."

"Colonel Graves we do not appreciate having weapons pointed at us when we are here to help," Scott replied keeping his voice cool and calm while inwardly he was getting a little ticked off with this Colonel Graves already. He seemed to be one of those jar-headed paranoid commanders. He'd met his kind before when he was in the air force before International Rescue began operating.

"I am sorry International Rescue but the troops must remain. It is necessary for our security." _Oh for goodness sakes,_ Scott thought rolling his eyes.

"Colonel Graves you have people trapped underground. They are our only concern, we have absolutely no interest in stealing you're secrets – they would be no use to us anyway. Now I ask you again please withdraw your men."

"I am sorry but the troops remain," Graves said stubbornly. "They will accompany you and monitor all of your activities while you remain here on base."

"Colonel let me make this black and white," Scott replied letting some of his annoyance show in his voice now. "We cannot help save the people trapped underground if we have your men breathing down our necks. Nor can we allow any of your men access to one of our vehicles, our technology is not for your eyes. Now either you stand down your men and let us do our work unhindered or I'll leave here now and instruct Thunderbird Two not to approach. The choice is yours colonel. Make it fast."

Graves did not respond but Scott saw the woman speak to Graves though he couldn't hear what she said. Graves said something back and was answered and for a few moments he and the woman argued, which gave Scott the impression that the woman was the one who really held the reins of command here.

Finally Graves spoke again through the loud speaker. "Very well International Rescue," Graves said but he did not sound happy. "I will withdraw the troops."

"Thank you," Scott replied. "Now that that little misunderstanding has been cleared up we can get down to business. Thunderbird Two will be here soon we will need complete information on the layout of the underground levels and any security systems that may still be active." Graves didn't answer but Scott saw the woman take the loud speaker from him.

"International Rescue my name is Dr Kerry Jones. I'm in charge of this facility the information you've requested will be provided," the woman said. "However I assure you that all security systems are off line, they went into emergency cut off within seconds of the blast."

"Thank you Dr Jones. I will see you face to face shortly."

"I look forward to it."

Scott turned off the external microphones and speakers before turning on the main communications system. He needed to report in to dad that he'd arrived and advise him of the trouble he'd had with Colonel Graves. Scott didn't think that the colonel was going to let what had happened lie. He suspected that Graves would probably complain to the Pentagon not that it would do any good, as powerful as they were the Joint Chiefs could do nothing to International Rescue beyond lodging a formal complaint. And their operatives in Washington would prevent that from happening.

"Base from Thunderbird One, base from Thunderbird One," he said.

"Go ahead Scott," his father's voice responded even as he appeared on the comm. screen.

"I've arrived at the danger zone and am about to set up. I've had a little trouble with the military though."

"What kind of trouble," Jeff Tracy asked instantly fearing the worst. Last time they'd had trouble with the US military it had been when the trigger-happy captain of the USS _Sentinel_ opened fire on Thunderbird Two without making any real attempt to identify her, certainly their had been no verbal challenge from the _Sentinel_, only two salvos of missiles. It was only luck that had prevented Thunderbird Two from being destroyed in that incident as it was she'd been crippled for weeks and Virgil had been laid up with a nasty concussion.

"Nothing too serious," Scott reported. "The colonel in charge of security in the place apparently decided we're a threat to national security and need to be watched and accompanied at all times during the rescue operation by his men."

"I assume you persuaded him otherwise."

"I did. The head of the facility a Dr Jones overruled him. But I don't think he's very happy about it."

"I'll alert our operatives in Washington," Jeff said. "We'll deal with it if it becomes necessary."

"Ok father. I'll call you again when I'm all set up." Scott broke the signal before undoing his seat restraints and getting up. His first stop would be the storage bay behind the cockpit from where he would pick up his mobile control equipment.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later**

Scott set mobile control up inside an emergency command and control tent that the military forces protecting the base had put up after the explosion and subsequent evacuation of as much of the base as possible. He ignored the daggered looks he got off some of the soldiers who hadn't taken kindly to the way he'd in their eyes humiliated their commanding officer. The fact that Colonel Graves had been an idiot to even surround Thunderbird One and try the 'you're a risk to national security' trick was neither here nor there.

Scott personally suspected that the real reason Graves had done that was because he wanted his people to get a really good look at International Rescue technology up close. Like every other armed force in the world the United States military would love to get their hands on even a small number of International Rescue's secrets.

Still despite the irritation and anger that some of Graves' people were showing him they had complied with Dr Jones' orders and provided him with a detailed layout of the underground levels. Though annoyingly they had blanked out most of the name tags so he had no idea what most of the rooms housed.

Pushing his annoyance out of his thoughts, Scott studied the rest of the plans. The research base was built in a reverse pyramid shape with the widest point just below the surface with the narrow point of the pyramid deep underground. A core access shaft ran the length of the twelve underground levels and it was that access shaft that had become blocked by fire and falling debris. Two emergency shafts sunk at the sides of the pyramids were also blocked by the debris.

The researchers were trapped in one of the labs on level nine, a lab that was right against the wall on the side where the river ran past the base. They would have to use the Mole to tunnel down to the opposite side of the base and access the level from there. Once down there they would possibly have to cut through emergency doors. Neither Dr Jones nor the quietly seething Colonel Graves had been able to say if the heavy steel doors designed to contain fires and explosions had closed automatically or not. And all lines to underground sensors had been severed either by the initial explosion or by the resultant inferno.

"Thunderbird Two from Mobile Control," he said into his radio unit. "What is your ETA?"

"Mobile Control from Thunderbird Two," Virgil's voice responded immediately. "I've just crossed into Nevada now and will be at your location in three minutes."

"F-A-B, Virgil. You're going to have to land on the western side of the base. We'll have to use the Mole to dig down to the ninth level from there. Now we don't know if the emergency doors on the ninth level have closed or not. So you and John are going to have to take the oxyhydnite equipment with you. The researchers are reported to be in a lab on the eastern side right next to the wall that faces the river."

"F-A-B, Scott." Scott did detect a slight note of nerves in Virgil's voice as he spoke about the oxyhydnite equipment. Though they had had no problems with it since the Thompson Tower disaster last year both himself and Virgil were still a little weary of using it since it knocked them out during its initial tests. "Do we know how many researchers are trapped?"

Scott looked up at the sullen looking corporal standing next to him who had been designated liaison, a silent question on his face.

"Five," the corporal answered.

"Did you get that, Virgil?" Scott asked into the communications unit.

"I got it ETA now two minutes."

"F-A-B."

* * *

**Two Minutes Later**

Soldiers and researchers alike turned their heads up as Thunderbird Two came in to land beside Thunderbird One. Despite being absolutely massive far bigger than any transport aircraft operated by the US air force or any air force in the world Thunderbird Two moved with an easy grace as it set down the awesome force of its VTOL jets creating a wind that blew dust everywhere. Researchers and soldiers stared in equal amounts of awe and humility as the great machine set down realising that what they were seeing was the power of a technology more advanced than anything currently in existence anywhere else in the world.

For a few moments Thunderbird Two sat silent on the ground and then a warning buzzer sounded and Thunderbird Two began to rise on powerful hydraulic legs. The whole of the green leviathan aside from the central interchangeable pod section rising up to expose the door of the pod; in moments the pod was fully exposed and the great door/ramp lowered to the ground.

Then from inside Thunderbird Two's pod came the rumble of an extremely powerful engine. Watching soldiers and research staff watched in amazement as a massive drilling machine on a powerful mobile track emerged from the pod. The name Mole was proudly written on the side.

The great drilling machine moved forward with a speed that belied its huge size much to the amazement of the watching troops and staff. Then it came to a stop and the powerful pivot on the transport sled raised the great machine rear end towards the sky while the cutting head dropped towards the ground. With a whirr the cutting head started up and quickly reached full speed. Jets on the back engaged and the machine's moved forward and immediately started tunnelling, its cutting heads chewing through the rock with ease. In moments the mighty drilling machine was gone, vanished beneath the sandy soil and bedrock, on its way down into the base.

* * *

**The Mole**

John Tracy smiled enjoying himself as he handled the controls to the Mole. It was rare that he really got to operate any of International Rescue's vehicles beyond Thunderbird Three. Though like all his brothers he was fully qualified to pilot all of their vehicles. He was just didn't often get the chance. For some reasons things tended to be quiet on the rescue front whenever he was down on Earth. So he was enjoying being able to pilot the Mole while Virgil got the oxyhydnite equipment ready. The need to use electrically heated gas cylinders to evaporate any escaping fumes meant that the equipment was quiet bulky and required specialised harnesses to use it. They didn't know enough about the underground corridors to use their hoversleds so they would have to carry the oxyhydnite equipment on their backs.

In a few short moments the ride was over as the Mole tunnelled right into the side of the underground base. "We're through," John called back to Virgil even as he powered down the Moles drive and drilling head.

"Oxyhydnite equipment is ready," Virgil answered grunting slightly as he put on one of the harnesses and felt the weight of the gas cylinder full force until he did the harness up properly.

"F-A-B," John answered even as he climbed out of the Moles pilot seat and went to put own his own oxyhydnite harness.

Like Virgil before him he grunted from the weight of the gas cylinder as he put the harness on.

"Damn we must have a word with, Brains see if he can make these things lighter," he said to Virgil while Virgil retrieved the masks that would allow them to breath clearly – since the air in the underground levels was probably contaminated by dust and smoke and which would protect them from any fumes they might encounter. Virgil retrieved gloves for that same purpose.

"I wish it would make them a lot easier to carry," Virgil agreed as he handed a mask and gloves to John before putting his on. "Maybe we should talk to him about it when we get back to base. Brains is always open to suggestions for improvements."

"Yeah that might be an idea," John agreed as he pulled his gloves on before putting on the breathing mask.

Before moving over to the hatch in the Moles side John and Virgil thoroughly and efficiently checked each other's equipment to make sure everything was working correctly, naturally it was. Their equipment was always kept in perfect working order. There would be absolute hell to pay if it weren't. Still they always checked before moving, as one could never, ever be too careful.

"Mobile Control from Mole," Virgil said into his mask's microphone.

"Go ahead, Virgil," Scott responded at once.

"Scott we're about to leave the Mole is there any new information?"

"I'm afraid not, Virgil," Scott replied apologetically. "You'll just have to manage."

"Understood, how many emergency doors are we looking at exactly?"

"It they've all closed between you and your destination then they will be twelve of them, as there is one every ten metres."

"Thanks Scott," John put in.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." The channel went dead then as Scott signed off.

"Well here we go," John said nervously wondering what they would find when they left the Mole. The fact that the military and scientists who ran this base refused point blank to tell them what they were researching here made him very, very uneasy. What was it that they were so desperate to hide? And he could tell the Virgil felt the same.

"Yep," Virgil agreed as he started to operate the hatch controls. "Lets just hope we don't run into anything nasty."

"Amen to that, Virg," John replied as the hatch fully opened. Silently, purposefully the two brothers stepped out of the brightly lit Mole into the darkness of the base.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The interior of the research base was dark. Most of the lights were off, knocked off line by the concussion wave of the initial explosion. A few dull red emergency lights were functioning, but the cones of light they cast provided little illumination as the air was thick with smoke and dust.

John and Virgil we're forced to rely on the high powered lights strapped onto their arms to find there way. The twin beams of each arm beacon barely penetrated the gloom, but what they revealed were dull concrete walls and floor. The only real feature of the corridor they were in was a series of conduits running along the ceiling, conduits that were shattered and broken and littered the floor.

"Imagine trying to work in a place like this," John said.

"Don't care to," Virgil replied. "There's one of those emergency doors."

Sure enough a few metres ahead of them was one of the thick emergency doors, but it hadn't closed fully instead it was stuck half way between open and closed. A quick look showed that the force of the initial explosion had warped the tracks it ran on. The gap on one side was narrow but they were able to squeeze through.

They advanced cautiously deeper into the base moving carefully over the debris that littered the floor. As he walked cautiously sweeping a flashlight from side to side in a searching motion John found he liked this base less and less. It was all dark and gloomy there was no cheer here. How could anyone live and work in this place, even when he'd been with NASA before the foundation of International Rescue the space stations he'd been on had been brighter and warmer than this though the corridors had been just as narrow. Whoever worked here had to be very narrow minded or very focused to avoid going crazy, at least in his opinion.

Most of the emergency doors they came to were open or like the other one jammed half shut all warped or knocked off line by the explosion. But as they approached the core of the base they came across a door that had actually closed and was blocking the corridor with an airtight seal just like it was designed to. Virgil tapped the emergency release code provided to them by the military into the door control mechanism, nothing happened. The control panel remained dark and lifeless, all power to it and the door mechanism obviously gone.

"Great looks like we'll have to burn through it after all," John said to Virgil taking the torch for the oxyhydnite from its clip on the harness.

"Looks like it," Virgil agreed taking out his own oxyhydnite torch.

Almost in unison they lit the torches and got to work on the thick metal door. It didn't take long to burn through, the slim jets of plasma at the tips of the torches slicing through the two-inch thick steel as if it were paper. The oxyhydnite gas of Brains was the most powerful cutting gas yet developed anywhere on Earth, the jet of plasma it generated when ignited was capable of cutting through even cahelium alloy with ease, not even lasers could match oxyhydnite's cutting power. In moments the door was no longer and obstacle a single powerful kick from Virgil sent it crashing to the floor.

After turning off the oxyhydnite torches they resumed their trek through the base. They encountered no other closed emergency doors between them and the central core. As they passed the lifts and stairwell doors that lined the core shaft John paused, he could hear water coming from the direction of the stairwell.

"Virgil can you hear that," he asked hoping and praying that he was just hearing things. If water really was getting into the base, then there time was even shorter than he had thought.

"Yeah I can," Virgil said grimly as he knew the stakes as well. "Either the river is getting in below us or some of the water mains are ruptured and leaking into the stairwell. Either way we don't have a choice but to check it out."

"True. We should let, Scott know first though."

"Point, he'd kick our butts from here to next week if we didn't," Virgil replied. John smiled back knowing that Virgil was correct, their older brother would really ream them out if they did something like this without clearing it with him first. And their father would be even worse when he heard about it.

John raised his wristcom. "Mobile Control from John," he said into the comm.

"Go ahead, John," Scott replied as his face appeared in place of the watch face.

"Scott we may have a new problem," John answered. "We can hear the sound of running water coming from the stairwell. Now either the river containment wall is breached, or one or more of the water mains is ruptured. I'm going to take a quick look to find out."

"F-A-B, John. Just be careful."

"I will, Scott don't worry," John replied before closing down the communication.

Then moving quickly but cautiously he made his way over to the stairwell. Taking a deep breath he pushed open the heavy fire door, half expecting a wall of water to come crashing through, so he breathed a sigh of relief when none came. Still being cautious he entered the stairwell, to see water cascading down from the level above. The water was clean, clearly it was coming from a ruptured water line, but there was a hell of a lot of it.

"Careful, John," Virgil warned as John cautiously descended to the level below. As he reached the bottom he came into a pool of water three inches deep. The stairwell door was closed and with nowhere else to go the water was starting to fill up the stairwell, eventually he knew it would rise up to the next level but even at the rate of leakage that would take time, quite a bit of time.

Relieved that it wasn't the river he made his way back up to where he had left Virgil, and carefully closed the door behind him.

"Well," Virgil asked.

"It's a leak," John replied. "The water main on the level above must be ruptured, its slowly flooding the stairwell. We've got plenty of time it's only rising slowly."

"Thank goodness for that," Virgil answered. "I was so worried that it was going to be the river."

"Tell you what, Virg. So was I."

"We should get going; we still have researchers to save." Virgil nodded in agreement and the two brothers resumed their trek through the dark, smoky corridors of the base.

* * *

It only took a few more minutes for the two men to reach the research lab where they knew the scientists to be trapped. Like with their journey to the central core of the reverse pyramid most of the emergency doors stuck half open or hadn't closed at all. They had encountered only one more door that they needed to burn through, which hadn't taken them long at all.

Now they stood before the closed door to the lab. It was a large two part door that met in the centre to form an airtight seal. It looked more like the door to a lift than the door to a lab. A sign on the door read something but it was impossible to see what it was in the dim light. John shone his torch on it.

It was a warning not to carry anything that could give off an electrostatic charge into the lab. Fortunately neither there uniforms or equipment would do that. The fabric and alloys they were made from were designed not to conduct static electricity or to even allow a charge to build up. It was one of the many things Brains had taken into account when he'd come up with the materials.

As with the first emergency door Virgil attempted to operate the controls for the door only to find that they weren't working. The doors would not budge.

"The door controls don't work. Why am I not surprised?" Virgil said.

"Because it would be to easy if the door was working," John replied grinning as he took his oxyhydnite cutter from its slot on his harness.

Virgil laughed. "Good point," he replied taking out his own cutter.

In near unison they lit the oxyhydnite cutters for the third time in this mission and got to work on the door. It took longer than they thought for the oxyhydnite to penetrate the tough material of the door, whatever composite alloy it was made from it had a heat tolerance that was almost as high as cahelium. Despite the increased resistance to the oxyhydnite it didn't take Virgil and John long to overwhelm the door and bring it crashing to the ground.

Only to find instead of a lab they were greeted by the site of a short corridor, leading to another set of doors. Tall slim pylons of some kind lined both sides of the corridor, each pylon had a dull grey panel set into the inner surface, a panel that would probably normally glow, but which was currently dark and lifeless, like almost every electrical system in the base. Looking at them John realised that he had seen devices like them before, back in his NASA astronaut career, though these ones were much bigger and were of a subtly different design to the ones he'd previously dealt with.

"Whoa what are these things," Virgil asked frowning at the pylons having not seen anything like them before.

"They're a type of biometric sensor," John replied. "One specially designed to scan organic matter right down to the sub molecular level. I've seen them before. Back when I was in NASA we had one on the second International Space Station. We used it to scan plants down to the sub molecular and genetic level to see how they coped with the artificial gravity and atmosphere of a space station for a long period of time. But these are bigger; they look like their meant to scan people."

"What are they doing here," Virgil wondered.

"I don't know," John admitted. "It doesn't concern us now anyway. We need to get to those scientists."

"Yes you're right," Virgil agreed but gave the biometrics another nervous look. "Still I would like to know what they need such sensitive scanners for."

"You and me both, Virgil," John answered as they started walking past the dead biometric sensors.

They reached the second set of double doors and found to their complete lack of surprise that they would not open. Again they were forced to use the oxyhydnite to cut through and once again found that whatever material the door was made from took longer to cut through than they would have thought.

As soon as they were through and had kicked the door panels down they found themselves entering what was obviously a preparation area for a clean room. Sleek silver one-piece suits with matching gloves, boots and full helmets with breathing apparatus were on racks and shelves lining two of the walls. The wall directly ahead was made of a transparent material and had a door set in it.

A large hole had been smashed in the material possibly by repeated impacts from a chair or other blunt object. Obviously whoever was in the lab had tried to get out on their own only to be trapped by the powerless lab doors.

A figure appeared from somewhere beyond the barrier dressed in one of the silver suits complete with helmet and breathing apparatus. Decked out in all that gear the researcher looked more like someone preparing to go EVA in space than someone doing research at an earthbound installation.

"Who….who are you," the figure asked in a male voice that was slightly muffled by the helmet.

"We're from International Rescue," Virgil answered quite used to this reaction when they abruptly showed up to save someone. "We've come to get you out of here."

"Oh thank God," the researcher replied. "We thought that, Colonel Graves and Dr Jones had forgotten about us. Come quickly some of us are hurt."

With that the researcher disappeared from sight back into the lab. Moving quickly but still with caution John and Virgil moved through the preparation area and entered the lab proper.

The lab was quiet a spacious room but nothing like what they had seen before. There were no racks of chemicals or things like that, though some test tubes were present. Instead the room was filled with machines and computers of various kinds and tanks, tanks that seemed to be filled with some thick translucent fluid. Some sealed test tubes on the few worktables held the same thick fluid.

And there were signs of damage to the lab caused by the blast on the levels above. A bank of computer consoles had fallen over and were still sparking fitfully on the floor, clearly their was still some power to the lab. The overhead gantry that carried piping and the air duct had been shattered in one part, which would have produced a potentially lethal shower of flying metal fragments. A number of light fixtures had broken away from their securing bolts and now hung only by cables and flickering fitfully. But the most worrying sign of damage was a bulging line in the concrete wall, a line that started at just above floor level and seemingly travelling slowly along the wall.

Both Tracy boys knew that there was only one thing that could be the source of the bulge, the river running next to the base. The wall designed to contain it had obviously been damaged and was letting water through, water that was now exerting tremendous pressure on the walls of the base, as evidenced by the bulge in the wall. Eventually they knew the pressure would become too great and the bulge would break, letting in a tidal wave of water that would swiftly flood the base.

With effort John and Virgil pushed thoughts of the catastrophe that they knew was coming and focused their attention on the researchers. The researchers were clustered together by one of the worktables; three were on their feet and didn't appear to have sustained any injuries. The other two were sat down their backs against the side of the worktable. One appeared to be nursing a broken arm going on the way he or she was cradling it and the odd twist there was halfway along the forearm. The other was more badly wounded with a very deep and nasty looking gash on the right shoulder with the piece of metal that had caused the injury was still jutting out the shoulder. The researchers had wisely not tried to remove it as it was probably the only thing keeping their colleague from bleeding to death.

Moving quickly John and Virgil hurried over to the researchers even as one of them – the one who'd met them at the entrance – explained to his colleagues who they were and why they were here. As soon as they heard the words International Rescue all the researchers looked relieved. It was easy to see though the faceplates of the helmets that they were wearing and in the sharp change in the way the people were holding themselves.

"Thank God you came," one of the wounded researchers – the one with the broken arm – said in a female voice. "We were starting to lose hope."

"Well we're here now," Virgil answered. "Can you two stand?"

Both wounded researchers nodded indicating that they could stand. John and Virgil exchanged a relieved look that would make getting them out of here that much easier and quicker and with the immense pressure the river would be exerting on the wall they needed all the time they could get.

"Good we need to leave here as quickly as possible," John said. "That wall is not going to hold forever, when it goes this place will flood real fast."

Before anyone could react to John's announcement there came a deep rumbling sound from somewhere over their heads. Followed by the tremendous, concussive roar of a monstrous explosion, that threw everyone in the lab off their feet, making the two wounded researchers cry out in pain as there injuries were jarred.

Hidden in the roar of the explosion was a sharp crack. Unnoticed the bulge in the wall had cracked open behind a bank of still functioning computer panels. A thin spray of dirty high-pressure river water projected right into the back of the cabinet and got in through the hot air vents in the back. The water played over delicate internal circuitry, with predictable results. Short circuits and burnout's tore through the equipment and a moment later the whole bank of consoles exploded.

Torn metal fragments, pieces of singed and fused circuitry and shattered memory crystal shards flew across the lab in a potentially lethal hail of shrapnel. The flying debris sliced into just about everything it touched. One piece sliced into a rack on one of the worktables, test tubes that were sealed and filled with the thick fluid that was in the tanks. The test tubes shattered like small fragmentation grenades producing a spray of liquid and glass.

Unnoticed a single small drop of the liquid landed on the single bare patch of skin on the back of John's neck, just below the line of his hair and just above the collar of his uniform. For a moment the liquid sat on the surface of the skin and then it disappeared, absorbed through the pores of the skin.

Completely oblivious to anything having occurred John cautiously sat up once the rain of fragments had stopped.

"Everyone all right," he asked.

"I'm fine," Virgil answered. There were also nods of affirmation from all but one of the researchers. The researcher who didn't respond to John's question was starring at the wall with a look of horror and fear on his face.

John followed his gaze and swore quietly when he saw a thin jet of water coming in through ea small crack in the bulge in the wall, Even as he watched the crack got slightly wider and the spray visibly stronger. In a few minutes at best the whole bulge would burst allowing the river to come crashing in.

"We need to leave here now," John said calmly ignoring the instinct that told him to run.

"No kidding," Virgil agreed.

As quickly as they could everyone got to there feet with the two wounded researchers naturally taking the most time to get their feet under them; by the time everyone was back on their feet a thin film of water had spread across the floor of the lab and a number of the machines had begun sparking and smoking dangerously. They would explode any minute.

"Come on lets get out of here and back to the Mole," Virgil said.

"We can't go yet," one of the researchers protested moving to pick up a rack of test tubes and memory crystals on another worktable.

"Leave it," Virgil instructed.

"He's right, Jason leave them," the senior researcher ordered.

"But…"

"Leave them the research can always be redone."

"Research no matter how difficult can be redone and replaced. Lives can't be," Virgil added. "Now come on. We're wasting time."

With that Virgil left the lab. One by one the researchers followed with John bringing up the rear to make sure no one was left behind or wasted time gathering up research apparatus.

"Mobile Control from Virgil," Virgil said into his wristcom.

"I read you, Virgil," Scott responded immediately. "What happened? Surface scanners picked up two deep level explosions."

"The first was an explosion somewhere above us," Virgil answered. "My guess is it was either caused by leaking water mains or the fire. The second explosion was in the lab. There is a bulge in the wall where the river is pressing directly against the wall of the base. A part of the bulge cracked open behind a bank of computer panels. The panels short-circuited and exploded. We are on our way back now but the river is slowly flooding in, its only a matter of time before the bulge gives way completely. We're heading back to the Mole now."

"F-A-B," Scott replied.

* * *

Progress back towards the safety of the Mole was surprisingly fast. With the emergency doors open, half open or burned down by oxyhydnite cutters and the corridors clear of river water aside from immediately around the lab it was surprising easy for even the two wounded researchers to make a brisk pace.

As they reached the central core Virgil suddenly again found himself splashing through a thin but spreading and steadily getting deeper body of water. Shining his arm light over to the stairwells and lift shafts Virgil inwardly groaned as he saw water forcing its way under the stairwell doors and through the seals between the lift doors.

"Looks like we have even less time than we thought," John said frowning. "From the pressure the river must have broken in on the level below as well. This whole place will be under water in minutes."

"Then lets get going," Virgil replied before addressing the scared researchers. "Its not much further we'll be out of here in no time at all."

The lead researcher nodded in understanding but didn't speak, not trusting what words might come out of his mouth in the panic that was trying to claim him. Moving with even more urgency they resumed their journey to the Mole.

Moving quickly they reached the Mole with only a few moments before. Virgil and John went aboard first, Virgil moving to the controls to begin powering the Mole back up. John stood by the hatch and helped the researchers aboard. As he helped the last researcher to board the Mole John heard a distant boom.

And abruptly water came surging towards them clearly the doors on the central core had given way, possibly the wall in the lab as well.

"Virgil start the engines," John called to Virgil as he shut the hatch before making sure all the researchers had secured themselves in there seats. Satisfied that they had properly secured themselves John took off his oxyhydnite gear and sat down himself as he heard the Moles engines start and felt a vibration begin in the floor as the Mole slowly began to reverse back along the tunnel they had drilled into the ground.

John inwardly sighed in relief as he secured himself. _That was close,_ he thought, _now all we have to do is drop these guys off on the surface, then we can go home, where I will make an appointment with a nice hot bath._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**The Mole**

**A Few Moments Earlier**

Virgil put the drive unit of the Mole into full speed reverse and the great drilling and tunnelling machine began moving back along the tunnel they had bored into the ground earlier. He hoped that the Mole was quick enough to get back along the tunnel before the river caught up with them.

Sensors mounted near the front of the Mole showed that the level they had just left was flooding quiet rapidly and would be completely underwater in a few minutes. If the water caught up with the Mole before they reached the surface they would be in real trouble as it would break the grip between the drive belts on the sides of the Mole and the wall of the tunnel. If that happened they would be stranded.

Virgil began to relax when he saw that they were outpacing the floodwaters. They were going to reach the surface before the water, which was only just starting to spill into the tunnel to chase after the fleeing Mole and its human passengers and crew. Still he wouldn't relax completely until they were back on the surface and he was back at the controls of his beloved Thunderbird Two heading for home.

"How are you doing Virgil," John asked over the intercom from the back passenger compartment.

"We're almost to the surface, John," Virgil answered.

"F-A-B," John answered and although his voice was calm and professional in full International Rescue mode Virgil clearly heard a note of relief in his older brother's voice. Anyone who didn't know John would have missed it but Virgil heard it as clear as a bell. John would be happy when this mission was over.

Virgil couldn't blame him as he felt the same way. He hated it when they dealt with the military. Especially the United States military as he hadn't forgotten how one of their trigger-happy naval captains had almost blown him and Thunderbird Two out of the sky. The kind of 'shoot first, ask questions later' behaviour displayed by the _Sentinel's_ captain irritated him to no end.

After a few more moments the Mole broke the surface and immediately began moving back onto its transporter unit even as it rose backend first from the hole it had bored earlier. In moments the Mole was back on the transport unit in exactly the same position it would be in just prior to launch. With a series of resounding thuds magnetic docking clamps engaged holding the Mole stationary in launch/retrieval position. And then the powerful hydraulic pistons that moved the part of the transporter that the Mole rested on began to move. In moments the Mole was back horizontal again and stationary.

Virgil pressed a few controls deploying a ramp from the side of the Mole and opening the hatch. Proximity sensors alerted him to medics with stretchers running up outside to take care of the researchers.

"Okay folks journey's end," Virgil called back into the passenger compartment.

At his younger brother's words John released his seat restraints and stood up. "Okay people you heard him time to get off," he said to the researchers even as he moved over to release the restraints of the two injured researchers. The other three released themselves.

As soon as all the researchers were up on their feet they filed out of the Mole all professing their thanks for being saved from certain death. Hearing there simple but heartfelt thanks made John smile, hearing honest thanks from people who otherwise would have died made his and his families chosen job worthwhile.

John waited until all the researchers were clear of the access ramp before using a panel of controls besides the hatch to retract the ramp and close the hatch. "That's it Virgil," he called forward.

"F-A-B, John," Virgil answered before turning on the communications unit. "Mobile Control from Mole all passengers disembarked, returning to Thunderbird Two."

"F-A-B, Virgil," Scott responded immediately.

John smiled as he heard the transporters motors start with a powerful rumble that while almost completely muted here inside the Mole was still noticeable. A faint vibration suffused the deck as the Mole began to move. Smiling at the knowledge that they would soon be on their way home John went forward to join Virgil in the control cabin.

* * *

**Mobile Control**

As the Mole started its return journey to Thunderbird Two Scott smiled in relief glad that this particular mission was almost over. Now that the scientists had been saved he had better pack up Mobile Control and return to Thunderbird One.

"I suppose your going now," the corporal who'd been assigned liaison asked.

"Yes," Scott replied as he powered down his equipment. "You're people are safe, our task is done."

The corporal watched in amazement as the large, complex Mobile Control station split into two units that individually folded down and compacted until they looked like nothing more than large metal cases. They even had handles so Scott could carry them.

"You must be strong to carry those," the corporal said imaging that each case would be extremely heavy.

"Mobile Control is made to be as lightweight as possible," Scott replied as he picked up the cases. "But I am very fit you have to be in my line of work."

"Guess so," the corporal answered, before he made way for Scott as the IR field commander started walking carrying the two units back towards Thunderbird One.

* * *

**Thunderbird Two **

**A Few Minutes Later**

John sighed to himself as settled down in one of the passenger seats on Thunderbird Two's control room as Virgil settled down at the pilot's station and began prepping the great green transport for departure. He was glad that this mission was over and that they had been able to save the lives of the researchers.

John leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He could feel the first twinges of a headache behind his eyes. It wasn't much, just a dull annoyance that he hoped would not get any worse the last thing he wanted was to be laid up for the rest of the day.

"John are you alright," Virgil asked looking back at his brother in concern.

"Yeah I'm fine," John replied opening his eyes.

"Are you sure, you look a like something's wrong."

"I'm sure, Virg," John answered. "The stress of the rescue and the stress of having spent two months on Thunderbird Five is catching up with me that's all. You just concentrate on flying us home."

"Alright if you're sure you're alright," Virgil said.

"I'm sure." Virgil gave John an unconvinced look then turned back to the controls and hailed Scott on Thunderbird One. "Thunderbird One from Thunderbird Two, ready for departure."

"F-A-B, Virgil," Scott replied. "See you back at base."

"F-A-B," Virgil answered before signing off with Scott. A press of button turned on Thunderbird Two's VTOL jets. With a roar of power the six VTOL jets came to life and Thunderbird Two lifted off the ground.

Virgil used the VTOL jets until Thunderbird Two was almost a mile in the air before starting Thunderbird Two's main drive and setting a course back to Tracy Island while continuing to climb.

* * *

**Thunderbird One**

Scott watched on Thunderbird One's external sensors as Thunderbird Two lifted off and rapidly climbed into the sky while moving off in the direction of the Pacific Ocean and the tropical paradise that was their home. _Another mission successfully concluded,_ he thought before starting the process of powering up Thunderbird One's systems.

As the ship began to hum and vibrate with power around him, eager to get off the ground and back into its natural environment, the sky, something on the external monitors caught his attention. Frowning Scott turned his attention to the monitor and spotted Colonel Marshall Graves speaking into one of the communicators that the US military had recently introduced to replace walkie-talkies.

Getting the distinct impression that Graves was up to something Scott kept all of Thunderbird One's external sensors on full alert and double checked to make sure that his 'bird's stealth systems were operating at full capacity. He wouldn't put it past Colonel Graves to try something to track him on his way home, or attach a homing beacon to the ship at the last possible moment. And he wouldn't put it past most senior generals in the upper command echelons of the US military to order him to do it. Like every other military or terrorist group the American military would love to find out where their base was located so they could steal International Rescue's secrets.

Activating Thunderbird One's VTOL jets, Scott took his baby up into a stationary hover over the base, while the navigation system plotted a flight plan back to base. Almost immediately he heard the automatic camera detector started sounding an urgent warning, someone was taking pictures or a video recording of the ship. At the same time sensors alerted him to a small, fast moving projectile streaking right towards him. It was approaching far to fast for him to even hope to evade it from a stationary start.

The projectile impacted the underside of Thunderbird One with a faint clang. Instantly hull mounted pressure sensors reported that an object about the size of a tennis ball had attached itself to the hull. _Now I wonder what that is,_ Scott thought sarcastically as the object started emitting a homing signal on a very low frequency, a frequency that would be almost impossible for most sensor systems to pick up, but which was easily in the capacity of his own sensors.

A grin appeared on Scott's face as an idea occurred to him. While he could deal with the homing device right here and now by simply running electromagnetic charge along the outer hull of Thunderbird One he decided he would play the military's game for a little while. But first he would deal with that camera. Using the sensors he located the source of the photo alert; a single private in the shadow of one of the tents, pointing a video camera at him, a camera that used magnetic tape. _Honestly how amateurish can you get,_ he thought. Compared to the many sophisticated attempts to steal their secrets the Hood had made over the last few years, this attempt was well and truly pathetic. It would be easy enough to deal with it, but he saw no reason why he couldn't have some fun first.

He switched on the external speakers.

"Colonel Graves I know you have ordered your man by the command tent to record us," he said into the microphone. "We do not appreciate such action. Sorry about this but our organisation will remain secret even from the US government." As he spoke Scott pressed some controls.

Soldiers, researchers and army medics on the ground were treated to the sight of a diffuse blue cone of energy suddenly shooting out from the belly of Thunderbird One and briefly bath the soldier holding the video camera in its glow. After a few moments it shut off, as the private dropped the suddenly very hot camera.

"I've magnetically wiped the video tape your recording and camera tape is now useless," Scott continued. "So long."

With that he switched off the external speakers and engaged the main engines and Thunderbird One shot away east towards the Pacific Ocean

"Base from Thunderbird One, base from Thunderbird One," he said into the comm. unit.

"Go ahead Scott," Jeff Tracy responded immediately as his face flashed up on the communications consoles small plasma screen.

"Father the military has attached a homing beacon to the underside of Thunderbird One."

"Get rid of it now," Jeff ordered annoyance in his voice, but Scott knew it wasn't directed at him but at the American military for the ingratitude they were showing.

"I've got a better idea dad. They want us so I am going to let them think they've got us."

"What do you mean son," Jeff asked.

"There's a old abandoned military base on an island eight hundred miles north west of home correct."

"Yes," Jeff said cautiously.

"Well I'm going to fly there first, land, then remove the homing device and hide it. By the time the military arrive and find the device and realise they've been tricked I will be long gone."

"I like it son," Jeff replied a grin breaking through his habitually serious expression. Scott smiled back.

"Guess I've been hanging around, Gordon to long but I like it to," Scott replied.

"I heard that," Gordon's voice came faintly from the radio clearly he was in the same room as their father. Scott just laughed and broke the connection and changed his course heading for his target island.

* * *

**One Hour Later**

Scott ran a uniformed arm across his forehead wiping the sweat away from his forehead. It had been harder than he had thought to remove the homing device from Thunderbird One's underside, it had been held in place with some sort of molecular bonding strip that he'd had to use a laser to overwhelm. In the hot tropical environment of this island it had been very hard work. _And I thought the humidity at home gets bad,_ he thought knowing this island was much closer to the equator than his home.

Cradling the homing device in his free hand he looked carefully around at the abandoned aircraft hangers. All of them were rusty and heavily overgrown, no one had been on this island since the end of the Cold War but despite the passage of time and being exposed to the elements they were remarkably intact.

Walking over to the closest hanger he moved deep into the shaded interior before putting down the homing device. Then he took a card from his pocket and wrote a short message for the military forces that had no doubt been tracking him from the moment he left Nevada. What he wrote was simple he just wrote 'better luck next time' and signed it International Rescue before putting it down on top of the homing device.

Then laughing his head off Scott headed back to Thunderbird One and climbed aboard before taking off for Tracy Island. He just wished he could see the look on the faces of the US troops when they found his little message.

* * *

**Thunderbird Two **

**That Same Time**

Virgil sighed in relief as he Thunderbird Two's landing sequence completed and she was safely back in her hanger. It was always good to get back home and what he wanted to do now was go to his room and have a nice hot shower. It was sort of a tradition he had after a rescue.

Turning in the pilot's chair he looked over at John to see that his brother had fallen asleep in the chair. Smiling Virgil stood up and went over and shook John's shoulder.

"John," he said. John's blue eyes flickered open and John immediately winced and groaned softly in pain. "John what's wrong?" Virgil demanded in concern.

"Headache," John moaned leaning forward and flinching. "And the light hurts."

Virgil frowned. "Sounds like you've got a migraine," he said to his older brother. "You should go straight to bed. I'll get Tin-Tin or Grandma to bring you some painkillers."

"I intend to," John said through his throbbing head. Awkwardly he got to his feet and headed into the passenger lift to the surface while Virgil watched worriedly until he disappeared. With a sigh Virgil started to get out of his uniform so it could be cleaned ready for its next use, and back into his normal clothes.

* * *

John stumbled as he got off the passenger lift; he only just caught himself on the wall, as pain made the world spin crazily. _Damn what a time for a migraine,_ he thought.

"John," Gordon said and through pained eyes John looked up to see his auburn haired brother looking at him in concern. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"Migraine," John replied weakly before wincing. "I'm trying to get to my room."

"Here I'll give you a hand," Gordon said coming to his side and putting one of John's arms across his shoulders. Gratefully John leaned against his younger brother and with his help made his way slowly through the villa.

* * *

Though it took only a few moments to reach his bedroom, to John it felt like an eternity, the pain in his head was now intense. So intense that he felt like he wanted to be sick. It had been awhile since he'd had a migraine this bad, and he could have done without ever having one like this again.

"Here you go, John," Gordon said opening the door for him before guiding him inside. "Sit down on the bed while I go and close the curtains."

"Thanks, Gordon," John replied weakly settling down on the bed and starting to pull off his uniform.

"No problem," Gordon answered as he closed the curtains, banishing the bright, tropical afternoon sunshine from the room, much to John's relief. "Now wait here and I'll go and get you some painkillers."

John nodded and winced as it sent additional stabs of pain through his skull. Gordon frowned at him in concern, before leaving. With effort John stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed beneath the covers. When he had a migraine attack this ferocious for a number of years, and knew the only thing he could do was take some paracetamol and go to bed till it passed.

After a few minutes the door to his room opened again and he weakly looked in the direction to see Gordon come in with their father a few paces behind him.

"Here you go, John," Gordon said holding out a hand in which he held two small white tablets. In his other hand he held a glass of water.

"Thanks," John replied taking the tablets and swallowing them down with a gulp of water.

"Your welcome now go to sleep I'll see you in the morning," Gordon answered and left the room.

John buried himself in his bedclothes and closed his eyes again before descending into a deep sleep. His consciousness divorcing itself from his migraine-wracked body, seeking relief in the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Fifteen Minutes Later**

Scott Tracy had a worried frown on his face as he made his way down the hallways of the luxury villa that was his home towards the door to John's room. He had landed with Thunderbird One a few minutes ago and been surprised when he returned to the lounge to see Virgil but no sign of John. When he'd asked where his immediately younger brother was he'd been told that John had a migraine and had gone to bed.

Normally he would have accepted his father's assessment of John's condition and left it at that, John was known to suffer from migraines though it had been along time since he'd had an attack this sudden and this severe. But he'd always had a strange sixth sense where his siblings were concerned, quite how it worked Scott had absolutely no idea, and right now it was screaming at him that something really wasn't right. Not wanting to unnecessarily worry his father and two other earth side brothers he hadn't told them about his feeling, they probably wouldn't have believed him anyway.

Stopping outside the door to John's room Scott sighed and considered if he should go inside, if only to shut the little voice screaming at him that something was wrong up. On the other hand he knew if he woke John then there father would not be pleased with him at all. After a moments thought he squared his broad shoulders in determination and pressed the control that made the automatic door slide aside, allowing him into the darkened interior of the room.

Moving quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping brother Scott made his way past the small private work area that they all had in their rooms, to the sleeping area and approached the bed where John lay lost in unconsciousness. The moment he arrived at the bedside and gazed down on John's sleeping face knew that his feeling had been right.

John's face was unnaturally pale; practically the only colour there were the first hints of the tan that John was just starting to regain. He was completely caked in sweat like from a really heavy workout. Alarmed and concerned he reached out and put his hand on John's forehead and almost recoiled at the intense amount of heat coming off John's body, yet he was huddling up in the bed as if trying to keep warm and as Scott watched his brother started shivering.

Scott stared at John for a few moments his mind reeling. John didn't have a migraine, but a very sudden, very vicious and very heavy fever. But where the hell had it come from? John had been perfectly fine earlier and nothing had happened to him on the rescue, Scott would have been immediately informed if something had happened. After a moment he mentally shook himself, now was not the time to worry where John's fever was coming from, they just had to deal with it.

"I'll be back, John," he said softly before racing out the room.

**

* * *

Living Room**

Jeff Tracy looked up in surprise from the magazine he was reading when he heard Scott come into the living room on a run. He opened his mouth to issue a reprimand for unnecessary running in the house, only for the words to die on his tongue as he saw that look on his eldest sons face.

"Scott," he asked in concern. "What is it?"

"It's, John dad," Scott replied. "I just went in to check up on him, and something is seriously wrong, something far worse than a simple migraine attack."

Jeff frowned in concern. "What do you mean, Scott," he asked, noticing out the corner of his Virgil and Tin-Tin stop the game of chess they had been playing to listen in.

"He's running a really high fever, dad," Scott explained. "At the same time he's as pale as a ghost, sweating like he's run a marathon and shaking like he's cold when he's practically burning."

As Scott spoke looks of concern appeared on the faces of everyone who was listening. The symptoms Scott was describing definitely did not fit with the migraine, which was what John had seemingly been suffering from when he'd gone to bed. After a moment of concerned silence Jeff snapped into action.

"Tin-Tin," Jeff said.

"Yes, Mr Tracy," Tin-Tin replied.

"Go and prepare the sickroom."

"Yes, Mr Tracy," Tin-Tin answered standing up and leaving the room.

"Virgil go and find, Gordon. Then bring a stretcher were going to have to move, John to the sickroom."

"Yes father," Virgil answered also getting up and silently berating himself for not realising earlier that something more was wrong with John than a migraine attack. He should have insisted that John go straight to the sick room and lie on the diagnostic bed so they could have determined what was actually wrong. Without saying anything he left the room in search of Gordon, he had a rough idea of where the auburn haired aquanaut would be so hopefully it wouldn't take him long to locate him.

"Scott can you go and get, Brains and meet us in the sickroom."

"Sure thing, father," Scott answered then he also left the room for Brains lab. Since the lab was usually where the scientific genius could be found he would check their first.

Jeff for his part sighed and also stood up heading for John's room with a worried frown on his aged but still handsome face.

* * *

As soon as he entered John's bedroom Jeff knew that Scott was right and that something was seriously wrong with John. John had twirled around so much in the bed in his feverish sleep that the blankets had sort of wrapped around him forming a cocoon with only John's blond hair visible. Jeff rolled his eyes even as his concern grew. John had only ever done that when he was ill, it had used to drive both him and Lucille crazy as they had often feared he would suffocate himself.

Jeff moved up the side of the bed and carefully peeled back the layers of bedclothes to reveal his son's face. John's face was really, really pale and completely caked in sweat just as Scott had said. Before Jeff's eyes John tossed in his sleep again and made a sound that sounded like a soft whimper. The sound set off even more mental alarm bells in Jeff's head. Not only was John extremely feverish all of a sudden but he seemed to be in pain as well.

"Oh, John," he said softly reaching out to check John's temperature at his forehead and back of his neck, only to recoil when he felt the incredible amount of heat John's body was generating. John's fever was dangerously high, they had to get him to the sickroom now so they could try and diagnose what was causing it and start trying to bring it down.

Gently he unwrapped the cocoon of blankets that John had woven around himself so his son's body was completely clear of the blankets. John wasn't wearing anything save for a pair of boxer shorts. _He really does look ill,_ Jeff thought worriedly. Looking at John so pale and shivering obviously suffering badly with his sudden fever Jeff couldn't help but feel helpless.

At that moment the bedroom door opened and Virgil came in followed by Gordon who was manoeuvring an antigrav stretcher and looking understandably worried. John's sudden illness had them all concerned. Except for Alan and the boys grandmother, both of whom still did not know. Inwardly Jeff sighed, he was going to have to call them and fill them in on what had happened. His mother he knew was back in the states, visiting an old friend who'd just lost her husband of sixty-two years, he knew she would return as soon as she was able to. But Alan would be a different story as Thunderbird Five would still need to be manned. Alan would have to stay there and would probably feel utterly useless and helpless; Jeff knew he would in that situation.

"He doesn't look good, dad," Gordon said looking worriedly at John. "But what's with him looking like he's just been through a workout?"

"I don't know, Gordon," Jeff replied. "It doesn't make any sense, but we're not going to get any answers here. Let's get him to the sickroom."

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to get John to the sickroom. Worryingly John did not show any sign of waking up when they moved him from his bed to the stretcher or from the stretcher to the sickroom's diagnostic bed. He remain deeply unconscious and unresponsive to the world, a fact that was causing Jeff grave concern.

Brains arrived at the sickroom a few minutes after them.

"S…s…sorry Mr Tracy," Brains said apologetically even as he looked worriedly at John. "I h…h…had to l…l…lock down an e…experiment."

"It's okay, Brains," Jeff answered. "You know what to do?" He nodded to John.

"Y…y…yes, Mr Tracy," Brains answered as he moved over to the controls of the diagnostic bed and operating them with practised ease.

The bed beneath John's body lit up, as did a small unit on the ceiling above the bed. A fan of light similar in appearance to the laser fans popular in nightclubs and discos projected from the ceiling and began to slowly sweep along the length of John's body from the top of his head down. Additional sensors built into the diagnostic bed scanned John from below; between them the two sets of scanners built a complex three dimensional picture of what was happening inside John's body.

"John's b…b…body temperature is reading out at 106 degree's," Brains read off the scan results displayed on the diagnostic beds control stations screen. Beside him Tin-Tin was doing the same on another screen.

"White blood cell count has shot up," Tin-Tin reported worriedly knowing that it was not a good sign at all. Rather it was the sign that something major was wrong and that John's body was mobilising all its defences to counter it. "There is intense stress on every single system in, John's body."

"Do we know what's causing it," Jeff asked.

"According to the s…s…scan John is suffering either from a sudden s…s…severe case of flu, acute food poisoning, or he has m…m…meningitis," Brains said worriedly.

As Brains said meningitis Jeff gasped in horror. Like every parent he knew the name of that disease; knew and feared it. If John had meningitis then they had only hours to save him if that.

"What do we do," Gordon asked fear in his voice. He had seen the effects of meningitis back when he had been with WASP; a friend of his had lost her young daughter to the disease. The prospect that they could now loose John to it terrified him.

"We have the d…d…drugs to counter meningitis," Brains replied reassuringly. "They will also h…h…help with countering food poisoning b…b…but their effectiveness on flu is limited."

"Administer them Brains," Jeff instructed.

"Yes, Mr Tracy," Brains replied and moved over to the secured, sealed medicine cabinet to prepare the drug which was administered by injection straight into the patients blood stream.

Brains keyed his access code into the electronic lock and immediately the lock emitted a soft click as it disengaged. Brains opened the cabinet and searched through the medicines stored there until he found the correct vial.

Taking the vial from the cabinet Brains retrieved a pressure injector from a drawer before filling the compartment inside the injector with the correct amount of the vial's content, before returning the vial to the cabinet and closing it, which automatically triggered the lock.

Carrying the pressure injector in the palm of his hand he returned to John's bedside. Carefully, gently he pressed one end to the side of John's neck before pressing a small button on the side discharging the medicine contained in the injector straight into John's bloodstream.

"Now what," Gordon asked.

"Now we wait," Jeff replied. "We've done all we can do. It's down to John now. Someone should stay here to keep an eye on him."

"I'll do it, dad," Scott said to everyone's total lack of surprise.

"Okay, Scott," Jeff replied. "Keep an eye on him and inform me immediately if his condition changes."

"Yes father."

"But first off lets move him to one of the other beds," Jeff said. "I don't think John would appreciate waking up on the diagnostic bed."

Everyone nodded in agreement and without speaking Scott and Virgil moved in to take their sleeping, amazingly rapidly recovering, sibling off the diagnostic bed and move him to the comfort of one of the other beds in the sickroom.

**

* * *

Three Hours Later**

Scott sat comfortably in a chair besides John's bed, doing what was for him a rare pastime. He was reading a book; a historical fiction novel set during World War Two, and was trying his level best to loose himself in the story while he waited for John to wake up. In the last few hours John's condition had improved greater – the fever had broken nearly an hour and a half ago and he was looking much better. Though oddly he still remained quite warm, at least he had been when Scott had last checked.

Scott was just turning to the next page of his book when a soft groan came from the bed. Looking up he smiled when he saw that John was stirring. _About time,_ he thought putting his book down on his lap and raising his wristcom.

"Dad," he said and Jeff Tracy's face instantly appeared over the watch face.

"Go ahead, Scott," Jeff said.

"John's starting to come around."

"I'll be right there," Jeff answered then broke the connection from his end.

Scott lowered his arm and looked at John's sleeping features as his brother continued to stir from his sleep. After a few moments John's blue eyes opened only for John to immediately shut them again with a groan as the lights sent sharp stabs of pain down his optic nerves and into his brain.

A second later though he opened them again and blinked rapidly until his eyes adjusted to the brightness. As soon as he could see properly he frowned slightly as he look up at a ceiling that was not his own, there were none of the glow in the dark stars present that there were in his room over his bed.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, John," Scott's voice abruptly said from beside him, making him jump slightly. Turning his head to the left he saw his older brother looking at him a relieved smile on his face, behind Scott he could see other beds and realised with a jolt that he was in the sickroom. "How are you feeling," Scott asked.

"Great," John replied his voice dry and crackly. "Thirsty."

Scott nodded. "Wait there," he said. "I'll go and get you a drink."

"Okay. Scott what am I doing in the sickroom? The last thing I remember is coming back from the rescue, getting a migraine and going to bed."

"You didn't have a migraine, John," Scott explained. "But something far worse, we suspect it was the start of a meningitis infection, we had to bring you here and give you a shot of norexaline to clear it. You gave us quite a scare."

"Sorry."

"Don't be its not your fault, John," Scott replied getting up from his chair. "Dad will be here to see you in a minute. I'll go get you that drink."

John nodded and watched as his older brother left the room, almost colliding with their father who was coming the other way.

"Hello son how are you feeling?" Jeff asked.

"I'm fine dad," John answered. "In fact I feel better than fine now. Scott told me how ill I was, I'm sorry to have worried you."

"Its not your fault, as long as your feeling better now."

"Does that mean I can get up?"

Jeff laughed slightly at the hope he heard in John's voice. Like his siblings John hated being confined to bed for any length of time. For a few moments he studied John closely trying to determine if John really was feeling better or just acting to be allowed out of bed. After a moment he determined that it was the former.

"Alright," he said at last. "I'll go and get you some clothes. But I want you to take things easy for the rest of the day and if you start to feel sick again you are going straight back to be bed. Clear."

"Yes father," John answered smiling. Jeff smiled back and left the room to go and get some clean clothes for John.

John watched his father leave, then leaned back in the bed. He hadn't been entirely truthful with his father and with Scott, he did feel better, in fact he felt brilliant. That wasn't the problem, what was, was the strange feeling that was pervading his body. A feeling that something inside him had changed, how he didn't know, just something, some instinct told him that something in him was different now to before.

For a moment he contemplated saying something about it to his father when he returned. But decided against it, he had no way of proving it after all. So with effort he pushed it out of his mind and sat back to wait for his father to return with some clothes.


End file.
